1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surface active compositions and methods using the surface active compositions for treating a water carrying system containing oil and water.
2. Brief Description of the Background Art
Industrial activities employing water carrying systems such as, for example, systems for cooling industrial processes frequently are contaminated by oils and lubricants as a result of defective equipment such as, for example, defective bearing seals or pump seals in contact with the water. These industrial activities include but are not limited to, such as for example, the automotive industry, metal parts manufacturing and machining industries, steel mills, petroleum refining operations, adhesive industries, paint industries, textile manufacturing, paper industries, sewage treatment operations and meat and food processing plants.
The mixture of oil phase and water phase in which either phase may be dispersed in the other is known by those skilled in the art as an emulsion. When the oil phase is dispersed throughout the aqueous continuous phase, the system is referred to as an oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion. The type of oil found in the emulsion and the concentration of the oil will vary depending on the industry. For example, the oil may include animal, vegetable, mineral or synthetic oils. More specifically, these oils may include, for example, hydrocarbons such as tannins or greases, light hydrocarbons such as gasoline, lubricating oil, hydraulic pressure fluids, cutting oils, grinding fluids or animal processing oils. The concentration of the oil in the aqueous media of the water carrying system may range, for example, from about 0.0001 to greater than 10% by volume.
In regard to water carrying systems such as industrial cooling systems, the presence of oil in the cooling system waters is detrimental due to the oil's adherence onto the surfaces of the cooling system. Adherence of oil to the surfaces of the cooling system results in restricted flow of cooling water through, such as for example, heat exchanger tubes because of the reduction of the diameter of the exchanger tubes, reduced heat transfer efficiency, and buildup of oil residue within the cooling tower fill creating the potential for structural failure of the cooling tower.
It will be appreciated, therefore, that compositions capable of effectively dispersing an oil in an aqueous media are needed for inhibiting oil deposition on the surfaces of water carrying systems and more specifically on the surfaces of the cooling tower and cooling tower fill.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the oil-in-water system generated by industrial activity may include a wide range of contaminants in addition to oil such as, for example, calcium salts such as calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate, magnesium silicate, iron, manganese, chromate and other inorganic matter. Therefore, treatment of an industrial oil-in-water system may include not only the dispersion of oil in the aqueous media, but also the need for deposit control.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that a surface active composition not only must disperse the oil phase in the water phase but must also be effective at the operating pH of the aqueous media, and be compatible with other chemicals used for scale inhibition, and corrosion and microbiological control.
A variety of surface active compositions have been proposed for dispersing and emulsifying oil in an aqueous media.
It is generally known by those skilled in the art that nonionic surface active compositions (surfactants) such as, for example, sorbitan monostearate, nonylphenoxy poly(ethyleneoxy) ethanol and copolymers of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide, and blends thereof, may be used to disperse or emulsify oil in water. Although these nonionic surfactants have been used to disperse oil in an aqueous media, they have drawbacks. For example, they lose effectiveness at higher temperatures and frequently do not optimally chemically interact with oil.
It is also generally well known by those skilled in the art that anionic surface active compositions such as, for example, sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate, and cationic surface active agents such as, for example, dicocodimethyl ammonium chloride may be employed to disperse oil in aqueous media. However, the anionic surface active compositions and the cationic surface active compositions have a disadvantage of being incompatible with each other when both are employed as components of a water treatment program.
European Patent No. 1,125,259 discloses a process for dyeing synthetic polyamide fibers in an acidic aqueous dyebath wherein the dyeing is carried out in the presence of an amine oxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,490,760 discloses a method of preventing water spots on gelatin silver halide emulsion films during drying which includes treating the film with a solution containing a cationic wetting agent consisting of a dimethyl alkyl amine oxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,159,967 discloses the use of amine oxide compositions for preparing emulsions of the water-in-oil type such as emulsions of water in organic solvents used in the dry cleaning business. This patent states that amine oxides may be used to break petroleum emulsions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,139 discloses a rust inhibitor concentrate for blending with gasoline comprising from 30 to 60 weight percent of a tertiary amine oxide, from 30 to 60 weight percent of a liquid aromatic hydrocarbon and from 5 to 20 weight percent of an aliphatic alcohol.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,901 discloses a photographic element comprising a support having at least one photographic silver salt and an oleophilic complex of a photographic addendum containing a hydroxyl or amino group with an organic Group V element oxide or an organic amine oxide. This patent states that the oleophilic complex has the property of releasing the photographic addendum in the presence of alkali.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,551 discloses a perfumed single phase aqueous alkali metal hypochlorite solution suitable for laundry and general domestic bleaching and sterilizing. This patent teaches an aqueous solution of at least one alkali metal hypochlorite containing a stable perfume oil and a surface active agent consisting solely of an amine oxide composition. This patent states that the amine oxide composition is the sole detergent and that the aqueous alkali metal hypochlorite solution containing the amine oxide composition has a pH range of from 12 to 13.5.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,077 discloses a process for oxidizing liquid hydrocarbon comprising blowing through a liquid mass of the hydrocarbons an oxidizing gas in the presence of a minor amount of a tertiary amine oxide.
In spite of this background material, there remains a very real and substantial need for a surface active composition useful for the dispersion of oil in an aqueous media and a method for substantially inhibiting deposition of an oil on a surface of a water carrying system.